Cybera members are asked to register for the cybersecurity assessment by September 16, 2022.
To ensure maximum participation in a cross-Alberta cybersecurity assessment that will help institutions become more threat resistant, Cybera has extended the deadline to sign up until the fall.
The Cybera Security Nexus was launched in May 2022 to provide expertise and resources to publicly-funded institutions looking to assess, prioritize, and address their cybersecurity and policy gaps.
A foundational pillar of the Nexus is the cybersecurity assessment framework, which was specifically designed to help Canadian organizations gain a thorough overview of their cybersecurity operations, and pinpoint areas for improvement. Cybera’s security experts will work with member organizations to prepare and launch the self-assessment, and then analyze and deliver their individualized results.
One of the biggest benefits of this initiative is the collective insights it will provide on the cybersecurity needs of Alberta’s public organizations, which can then be used to create targeted shared security services, or investment opportunities for government funding. It will also provide an opportunity for institutions to learn from each other, and build a collective cybersecurity roadmap for the province.
Other benefits include:
- Detailed overviews of what is working and not working in an institution’s security systems, to aid with future planning.
- Individualized and aggregated reports that could be used to demonstrate cybersecurity needs to potential funding sources.
- Ongoing future iterative assessments will show the institution’s progress and improvements both within the framework, and compared to regional peers.
- The use of a single, trusted framework (NIST CSF) will create a common language for Alberta institutions to define and address shared cybersecurity issues.
“We completed the assessment as part of the Cybera Security Nexus pilot, and it was far more comprehensive than any ones we had previously done. The results outlined some of the serious and not-so-serious areas of our IT environment that we may want to prioritize for future upgrades. They also identified some non-Information Security areas for us to consider, which was interesting. Some of the results referred to things we never would have considered, which was also really helpful.
It would be very interesting to see a combined (anonymous) view of all the questionnaires completed in our industry, to see where we stand, and help guide future strategic priorities for Cybera.
My advice to other smaller organizations undertaking this assessment is to break the questions up into smaller sections that you complete when you can, and delegate as much as possible to make it easier to tackle.”
– Edward Lipin, Director of Technology, Medicine Hat Public School Division
This assessment is available to all members, although post-secondary institutions participating in the national Cybersecurity Initiatives Program are encouraged to take part in the National Cybersecurity Assessment service launching later this year.
In addition to the assessment, the Cybera Security Nexus also offers dedicated time with a CISO-level cybersecurity expert. This consultation service is now available to any Cybera member in Alberta’s public sector to utilize.
To register for the Cybera Security Nexus assessment, contact Cybera’s project team at projects@cybera.ca.
Also check out our Assessment FAQs for more information.